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Senate committee rejects repeal of state fluoride mandate after hours of testimony
Summary
The Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee deadlocked 4‑4 and failed to advance a bill that would remove Arkansas' statewide mandate requiring fluoridation of public water supplies, after extensive testimony both for and against the repeal.
The Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee failed to pass Senate Bill 2, a measure that would remove Arkansas’ state requirement to fluoridate public water supplies and leave the decision to municipalities and local water districts.
Representative Matt Duffield, the bill sponsor, described the measure as removing a state mandate — not banning fluoridation — and called it a local‑control proposal. "It just removes the mandate. So it would leave it up to the municipalities or the water districts to decide if they wanna keep, fluoridating their water," Duffield told the committee.
The committee heard roughly equal numbers of witnesses for and against the repeal over an extended public‑comment period. Supporters included several rural water officials and…
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